Uploading An Image from a Windows App to A Database via webservices

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From: Eric Paul (ericallenpaul_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 03/08/04 

Date: 8 Mar 2004 10:50:14 -0800

I searched for the answer to this question when I started this new
project and I couldn't find a specific example of uploading an image
into SQL via a web service from a Windows Application. I found a ton
of other examples which got me close, but weren't exactly what I was
looking for.
As is my policy, when I look for an answer and don't find one I try to
publish mine (beware bad line breaks).

In your web service add the following:

[WebMethod]
public int SaveImage(Byte[] imgdata)
{
        //use the web.config to store the connection string
        SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection("YourConnectionString");

        //build the SQL command
        //Put your insert statement here--the "Image" column needs to
        //be of type "image"
        SqlCommand command = new SqlCommand( "INSERT INTO ContactsImages
(ImageData) VALUES (@img_data )", connection );

        //build the parameters
        command.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter("@img_data", imgdata));
                        
        //open the datbase connection
        try
        {
                //if the DB connection is not already open, open it
                if(connection.State != ConnectionState.Open)
                {
                        connection.Open();
                }
        }
        catch
        {
                //can't open the conenction to the database--throw an error
                Exception oException= new Exception("An error occured while opening
connection to the database.");
                throw oException;
        }

        //perform the sql command and store the results
        int numRowsAffected = command.ExecuteNonQuery();

        //close the database connection
        connection.Close();
                        
        //answer with the number of rows - 1 if successful
        return numRowsAffected;

}

Then in your windows application add a "web refrence" to the web
service and use code like the following:

private void btnUpload_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
        String strBLOBFilePath = textBox1.Text; //textbox with name and path
to image
        FileStream fsBLOBFile = new
FileStream(strBLOBFilePath,FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read);
        Byte[] bytBLOBData = new Byte[fsBLOBFile.Length];
        fsBLOBFile.Read(bytBLOBData, 0, bytBLOBData.Length);
        fsBLOBFile.Close();
        MYWEBSERVICE.MYSERVICENAME IDS = new MYWEBSERVICE.MYSERVICENAME();
        int Output = IDS.SaveImage(bytBLOBData);
}

The key is to convert the image to a byte[] array before you send it.
Hope someone else finds this useful.

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